Gaskets are well-known devices for sealing two or more components that have been joined together. For example, gaskets are used in the vehicle industry for creating a fluid tight seal between various engine components. Two engine components that typically need a gasket to seal them together are the cylinder head and cylinder block.
Various gaskets exist to seal between the cylinder head and the cylinder block, particularly for the automobile and light truck industry. However, these gaskets are typically not robust enough for heavy duty applications. One gasket design that has been used in heavy duty applications utilizes a wire ring between two gasket layers to assist in sealing. However, it has been found that the wire is susceptible to being overly crushed during high thermal loading conditions on the engine.
Thus, it would be advantageous for a gasket to be adaptable to high thermal loading conditions in heavy duty applications as well as other pertinent applications.